


Before the Night is Through

by milou407



Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Combeferre & Enjolras Platonic Life Partners, Combeferre is a grade A dork, First Dates, First Meetings, Holiday Fic Exchange, M/M, Masturbation, Pining Combeferre, Teacher Combeferre, You need curtains au, courfeyrac is adorable, sorry I don't make the rules - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-07
Updated: 2015-11-07
Packaged: 2018-04-30 12:03:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5163155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milou407/pseuds/milou407
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Combeferre's new neighbor Courfeyrac is three things:</p><p>1. Charming<br/>2. Gorgeous<br/>3. An unintentional tease</p><p>(Also, he really needs to get some curtains)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Before the Night is Through

**Author's Note:**

  * For [emma_meerkat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/emma_meerkat/gifts).



> This is my gift to emma_meerkat for the Les Mis holiday fic exchange! I hope you like it!
> 
> The title is from Bad Things, by Jace Everett

The first time Combeferre sees Courfeyrac, he is sitting in his kitchen watching two people unload the van in front of the house next door. 

It is criminally early for a Saturday, around 7:30 in the morning, and Combeferre is having trouble focusing on anything other than the coffee mug currently clutched in his grip. He and Enjolras had gone out the night before to celebrate Enjolras' first piece of legislation being passed and the completion of Combeferre's first week of teaching of the year, and he has been left with a resounding headache, which is not being helped by the loud, repetitive bangs coming from whoever was moving in next door. Enjolras had just walked out the door, having slept over instead of taking another cab home after their night out. Combeferre is moving to go close the curtains when he spots a man walk out of the house, presumably the owner.

He is small-ish, not tiny but certainly not close to Combeferre's six feet and two inches, and has curly dark brown hair. He has just shaken hands with a decidedly pale looking Enjolras and is walking back to his house. When he turns and catches Combeferre staring, he flashes a bright smile and waves.

Combeferre feels his ears turn pink and hurriedly closes the curtains, feeling ridiculous for being so flustered over a single glance. Shaking his head, he finishes his coffee and goes to retrieve his school bag. If he is going to be up at this ungodly hour, he might as well get some work done. 

Absolutely no attention is paid to the unpacking he could see happening through his sitting-room window. 

\------

Combeferre makes himself wait at least a few hours before going over to say hello. He had been rather preoccupied after his encounter with the new neighbor, and hadn't been able to get much done. So he decides to take the initiative and go to meet his neighbor himself, waiting until he has seen his new neighbor's friend drive away before mustering the courage to walk over and knock on the door.

He hears steps approaching as he waits on the porch, and spots a curly head poking out from the side of the curtains. It ducks out of sight just as quickly and the door is pulled open.

"Hi there! Who are you?"

"Oh, I," Combeferre sticks out his hand, "I'm Combeferre. I'm your neighbor. I live right there." He points awkwardly at his house which is, in fact, right next door.

That bright grin makes an appearance again as the man takes his hand, "It's nice to meet you Combeferre. I'm Courfeyrac, I just moved in, as you probably know." Courfeyrac gestures behind himself at the hall, "Do you want to come in? I don't have much unpacked yet, but I could probably find some supplies to make tea."

"Um, yes, actually, that would be lovely."

"Sure, come on in. Sorry about the mess. Let's see if I can find the kettle..."

"Oh, well, I don't want to be any trouble, really."

"Don't worry about it, I'm going to have to find it eventually, right?" Courfeyrac turns and shoots Combeferre a crooked grin over his shoulder. The little hitch in Combeferre's step could be easily ignored, and definitely isn't the result of extreme attraction. 

Courfeyrac's kitchen is bright and cluttered with boxes, but most of them are open and have dishes and pots pulled out. Courfeyrac starts rummaging in one of them when they enter.

"Now where the hell is the kettle? I know it's in here somewhere..."

"Do you want help?" Combeferre shifts uncomfortably, standing in the doorway to the kitchen, "I don't know where everything goes, but I could put things where you tell me and I'd be a help for the tall shelves..."

Courfeyrac turns and affects a stern look, with his hands on his hips, "Are you calling me short?"

Combeferre startles, "What? No! Well, yes, but not in a bad way. I just mean, I'm taller than you, so I'd have an easier time reaching the higher shelves and you would probably need a step up-" He puts his face in his hands, "Please just stop me now." 

Thankfully, Courfeyrac is laughing and didn't actually seem to be offended, so Combeferre thinks it's safe to crack a small grin.

"No, it's fine. I am short, I can admit it. And would be nice having a giant like you around so I can reach the tall shelves. Feel free to help, if you want. I'm not going to say no to free labor, and there will be tea if I ever find the damn kettle."

"Well, how can I say no to an offer like that?" Combeferre smiles again at the snort he can hear as he reaches for the closest box. He opens it to find a set of what seem to be dishes, and he starts pulling them out and unwrapping them, placing them carefully on the table.

"Where should I put these?"

"Those can go in the cupboards just above the sink, thanks. So, Combeferre, what do you do?"

"Me? Oh, I teach, it's not very exciting."

"Really?" Courfeyrac sounds genuinely interested, which is pretty novel. "What age?"

" The kids in my class are about ten. I teach science mostly, so I get to show them all how plants work and things like that." He can't see it, but he knows he's wearing the besotted grin he always has when he talks about his kids. 

"That sounds really interesting, actually. Do you enjoy it?"

"Yeah, I really do." He turns to fully grin at Courfeyrac and melts a little at the warmth he can plainly see in Courfeyrac's matching smile. Clearing his throat, he turns back to the dishes, placing them in the cupboards. "So where do you work? Somewhere much more glamorous than an elementary school, I'm sure."

Courfeyrac chuckles a little and says, "No, I'm just a lawyer. I work for the District Attorney's office, nothing fancy."

"Well, I certainly feel safer knowing you're making sure all the criminals are behind bars." Finished with the dishes, Combeferre moves to take some mugs which are resting on the table.

"Thanks, those can go in the cupboard too." Courfeyrac turns away from him, busying himself with another box. "And what does your boyfriend do?"

" _Fuck_ ," Combeferre swears as he drops one of the mugs he was holding, shattering it. "My what?" He stoops down to clean up the shards.

Courfeyrac joins him on the ground, using a wet paper towel to catch the little pieces. "Your boyfriend? The blonde? He was leaving your house this morning and we met as I was unloading my boxes. He seemed really nice."

"Oh no, Enjolras? He's my best friend. We're not...no. He's dating someone else, Grantaire, they're living together. Which isn't to say I'm not- I'm gay. So, yes to a boyfriend, no I don't have one. And if I did, it certainly would not be Enjolras. No."

Combeferre is glad he's not particularly flexible, since the only way this could possibly be _more_ embarrassing is if his foot is actually in his mouth. Courfeyrac looks a little surprised, and just a bit happy at that statement.

"I'm so sorry, I just assumed because he was leaving...Never mind. Forget it. It's fine, it's all fine. I'm gay too, so don't worry about it."

"Great, that's. That's great." Combeferre stands up and throws the shards away. When he straightens again, he looks at Courfeyrac and feels a surge of warmth in his chest at the fond smile Courfeyrac is giving him. Oh no. 

"Well, I should- I should probably go. I don't want to break any more of your stuff, and if I stay I'm afraid that's going to happen."

"Oh. Well, if you're sure." Courfeyrac looks dejected at this, and Combeferre really has to go before that warmth in his chest becomes a bigger problem. 

"Yes, sorry, I just have to go. And if you need anything-shit," he trips over the doorjamb and almost falls out the front door, "Well. You know where to find me."

"I do. Thank you Combeferre."

"You're welcome. Okay. Bye."

Combeferre tries to keep his dignity as he walks quickly back to his house, making sure to not look back once. He knows he has failed when he collapses against the inside of his front door, his heart fluttering in his chest. His new neighbor might be a bit of a problem. 

(He can't forget the warmth in Courfeyrac's smile or the way his eyes light up when he's trying not to laugh)

(And if he had looked back, he would have seen Courfeyrac watching him walk away, appreciating his ass and smiling fondly at the sweetest, most awkward neighbor he had ever met)

\-----------

Combeferre tries to keep Courfeyrac out of his head, he really does. It's just that, when he can see him get the paper every morning wearing nothing but his pajama pants, it's very difficult to not notice. What makes it worse is that Courfeyrac waves at him, so he knows Combeferre is watching, and sometimes he comes over for coffee and they have great conversations when Courfeyrac is sitting _half naked_ in Combeferre's kitchen. 

It's like the universe is out to get him.

What really cements his theory is what happens one rogue Saturday night. Combeferre is trying to finish a book he's been working through for weeks, and not getting much of anywhere, when he looks out his window. Both his bedroom and Courfeyrac's have big bay windows facing each other, so they can see directly into each others' rooms. Normally Combeferre keeps his curtains closed, but he had opened them today to let in the sunshine and forgot to close them. As a result, he can see Courfeyrac getting dressed for bed, which he certainly did not expect. He means to get up to close the curtains when he sees Courfeyrac take off his pants and _holy shit he's not wearing underwear._

Instead of getting up, Combeferre flails inelegantly off of his bed and onto the floor. He sits up and watches as Courfeyrac sits down on his bed, because he apparently sleeps naked. Or, more accurately, doesn't sleep, because what he's doing right now seems pretty active and Combeferre knows from experience that erections are not conductive to sleeping. Has he mentioned that the universe is out to get him?

He should really be closing his curtains, Combeferre knows he should be, but right now he's transfixed by the motion of Courfeyrac's hand on himself and he can't move except for to strip off his t-shirt because it's getting a little too hot for him to handle. And now Courfeyrac has taken lotion or lubricant or something and his one hand is moving faster as the other comes up to play with his nipples. Combeferre sits on the floor, frozen, torn between the desire to relieve some of the pressure he feels building and the need to _leave immediately_ because Courfeyrac is his friend and he can't sit there and watch his friend masturbate except that's exactly what's happening and he _can't move._ So he sits, transfixed, as he watches Courfeyrac bring himself closer to the edge, biting his lip and moving his hand even faster until he finally comes and slumps back onto his bed. Once that happens, it's like a spell has been broken and Combeferre vaults off of the floor and rushes into the bathroom to take a very long, very hot shower. 

(He comes with Courfeyrac's name on his tongue, and the wish that it was his lips Courfeyrac was biting.)

\-----------

After 'That Saturday Night', Combeferre tries his hardest to get the image of his friend naked out of his head, but he's not very successful. It takes a few morning coffees of blushing and stuttering for them to get back to normal, and in all that time Courfeyrac never even noticed something was wrong. Combeferre wasn't sure if he was thankful for that or not. It's become normal for them to share coffee before leaving for their respective jobs, and Combeferre refuses to admit out loud that it's often the highlight of his day. He's very pleased that he's finally gotten over himself enough to have it be comfortable again.

All of that progress goes absolutely to hell when one morning Courfeyrac asks, "Do you want to go to dinner with me?"

Combeferre stares at him, mind completely blank. Courfeyrac wanted to go to dinner ( _a date?!_ ) with him? 

His internal revelation is mistaken for hesitance and Courfeyrac follows it with, "You don't have to, I'm not going to pressure you or anything, I just thought I'd ask because I like you and I thought you liked me-"

"No! Yes, wait, I definitely want to, no, I don't feel pressured. Yes. Dinner. That sounds fantastic. When?"

Courfeyrac's bright smile makes another appearance, "I have to work late tonight, but how about tomorrow? At about eight?"

"Sure. There's a new French place I've heard good things about, does that sound alright?"

"Yes! That sounds perfect. I'll drive?"

"Sounds good. I'll see you at eight."

"Yes, you will." With that, Courfeyrac winks and walks out of Combeferre's kitchen.

Combeferre sits down on his sofa, slightly panicking even as he feels a goofy smile on his face. He's going on a _date_ with _Courfeyrac._ This is _fantastic._

Oh shit. What's he going to _wear?_

\-----------

"Enjolras, stop laughing and help me."

"Absolutely not," gasps Enjolras, "This is fantastic. You're worse than I was before my first date with 'Taire."

"There is no way that is possible," Combeferre continues going through his closet while he holds his phone between his shoulder and his ear. "You were a mess for a full two hours before your date. This cannot compare."

"Well, since it's now seven thirty, you've been at it for about as long as I had."

"Wait, what time is it?" glancing at the clock, Combeferre startles, " _Shit._ "

Enjolras's voice loses its mocking tone, "'Ferre, it's going to be fine. Wear the green button up, it matches your eyes, the black jeans that make your ass look great-" Combeferre chokes, "And you'll be fine."

"Right. Ok. It's just jeans and a shirt. I can do that. Ok." Combeferre takes a deep breath in, "I'm fine."

"Good. And don't invite him up for coffee. We all know what that really means." Combeferre yelps as Enjolras snickers and hangs up. What an ass.

Well, he is officially out of time to worry about it now, with only a half hour before he has to leave. He's only just gotten everything together when he hears the doorbell ring from downstairs. 

_Damn._

Grabbing his jacket and wallet, Combeferre races downstairs, and pauses before the door. He takes a deep breath and opens it, finding Courfeyrac waiting on his front step. He looks _gorgeous,_ and also a little frazzled, which makes Combeferre relax a little. 

"Hey there," Courfeyrac's smile is as warm as ever, which relaxes Combeferre even more, "Are you ready to go?"

"Sure, just let me lock the door." He does, and they step out together into the autumn night. Combeferre can feel a buzz of electricity between them, and he itches to know if it's only him that feels it or if it's mutual. 

Their drive to the restaurant is only a little tense, both of them slightly unsure in this unfamiliar territory and neither willing to risk messing it up. When they walk into Les Étoiles, they're both momentarily stunned by the dozens of colored glass stars which hang from the ceiling and shine soft light onto the dining room. 

Courfeyrac leans close and asks, "Do you think they'd let me take some home if I asked _really_ nicely?" It causes Combeferre to snort and Courfeyrac to laugh, breaking the strange tension which held them before. The rest of dinner is lovely, the two of them fitting together again, comfortable and sure. The food is lovely and they linger over their dessert, unwilling to leave and break the spell that had fallen over the evening. When they do finally leave, Combeferre surprises himself by taking Courfeyrac's hand. He's rewarded by Courfeyrac beaming up at him and squeezing his hand tightly. The ride home is much easier, the silence comfortable and charged, both of them sneaking glances and smiles occasionally.

When they park, Courfeyrac insists on escorting Combeferre home like a gentleman, even if his door is twelve steps away. When they're standing in front of Combeferre's open door, they pause for a second, then Courfeyrac puts his hand on Combeferre's cheek and stretches up to kiss him. Combeferre responds enthusiastically, wrapping an arm around Courfeyrac's waist to pull him in tightly. They kiss on the doorstep until Combeferre remembers he is standing right outside his house which contains a couch they could relocate this to(and a bed if they need one). They stumble inside and Combeferre pushes Courfeyrac against the closed door, which, judging by the noises he makes and the way he arches up again Combeferre, Courfeyrac enjoys. He pulls away to rub his hand against Combeferre's cock, which is pressing against his jeans, and says softly, "Do you want to show me your bedroom?"

 _"God, yes."_

Courfeyrac smirks and pulls Combeferre by the hand toward the stairs but something makes Combeferre stop and tug him back. The look on his face must not be a good one, because Courfeyrac comes toward him looking worried.

"'Ferre? Is everything alright? We don't have to do anything if you don't want to, I just thought-" 

Combeferre interrupts him with a kiss to stop him, because that is definitely not what is happening. When they break away, Courfeyrac looks a little dazed, and Combeferre uses it to his advantage.

"Before we do anything, I have to confess something. I saw you, through your window, a few weeks ago. You were going to bed and you, um," He can feel his ears getting pink, he hates blushing, "You were kind of, showing yourself a good time? And I wanted to stop watching, but you were so _beautiful,_ and I couldn't and by the way, you should really get some curtains. But the point is, I'm sorry." He looks away, he can't stand to see what Courfeyrac's face looks like now that he knows. "So if you want to go, you can. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have watched."

Courfeyrac's fingers turn his cheek back so he has to make eye contact again, and he's struck by the amusement he sees there. "Combeferre, it's fine. I knew you were watching. You're not subtle, and you fell off of your bed. Which," he snickers a little, "was very funny. But it's really ok. And-" he breaks off, blushing a little now too, which is _adorable._ "I may have also seen you get out of the shower once or twice. So. If anyone's the creepy neighbor, it's definitely me."

Combeferre kisses him again, smiling into it when Courfeyrac makes an eager noise and presses against him. 

"Well," Combeferre pants, when they've kissed until they're breathless, "Since we're both such voyeurs, we should probably go upstairs and give each other a show."

Courfeyrac's grin takes on a wicked quality, and he all but drags Combeferre up the stairs. 

\-------

It is a very good show. 

There are even repeat performances.

\-------

When he wakes up the next morning, Combeferre looks down to see Courfeyrac tucked against his chest, face in his collarbone, his skin bronzed by the sunlight coming in through the open curtains. He feels his heart swell and drops a kiss on Courfeyrac's head before settling back down to sleep.

It's easily the best way he's woken up in years, and he drifts off in a sea of contentment.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated. If you find any glaring errors, please let me know. Much love.


End file.
